Joseph Crocker, who is resigning his post as Raymond’s town manager after just four months on the job, said that the town needs to better support its staff in order to make the town a better place to work.

Crocker is the third town manager in Raymond to step down in 20 months.

Crocker declined to go into detail about the circumstances behind his decision to resign, but said that, despite the good work being done by town employees, some elected officials were not supportive of the town management and staff. He downplayed rumors of a toxic work environment, but acknowledged that he faced constant criticism on management decisions, and a lack of support on certain agenda items.

The town held an emergency meeting Oct. 6 to address his resignation and the public response. At the meeting, one woman proposed a recall of some town officials, while others called for civility and worried that the town was falling apart.

When asked about what would need to change to create a more positive environment at the town office, Crocker said the committees and boards should familiarize themselves with the day-to-day operations that go into providing town services, that they should acknowledge the staff is working hard, and work to be more patient and supportive.

Regarding what needed to change in the relationship between the town manager and Select Board, Crocker said the parties need to have a good working relationship. There needs to be open dialogue on what’s needed to work on issues so they can move forward and make the best decisions for the community.

Crocker will leave office on Oct. 24. He said he has no concrete plans for the future at the moment, but is looking to explore different industries and, perhaps, some other municipal opportunities. He thanked the people of Raymond for supporting him, and encouraged people to pay attention to local politics.

“Every decision I’ve ever made and every action I’ve ever (taken), I’ve made those decisions based on what’s best for the entire town,” Crocker said.